Wayward Heroes (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780914671091)

"Drawing on historical events, including King Olaf's reign in Norway and the burning of Chartres Cathedral, Laxness revises and renews the bloody sagas of Icelandic tradition, producing not just a spectacular historical novel but one of coal-dark humor and psychological depth." - Publishers Weekly

First published in 1952, Halldór Laxness's Wayward Heroes offers an unlikely representation of modern literature. A reworking of medieval Icelandic sagas, the novel is set against the backdrop of the medieval Norse world. Laxness satirizes the spirit of sagas, criticizing the global militarism and belligerent national posturing rampant in the postwar buildup to the Cold War.

He does that through the novel's main characters, the sworn brothers ormóður Bessason and orgeir Hávarsson, warriors who blindly pursue ideals that lead to the imposition of power through violent means. The two see the world around them only through a veil of heroic illusion: kings are fit either to be praised in poetry or toppled from their thrones, other men only to kill or be killed, women only to be mythic fantasies. Replete with irony, absurdity, and pathos, the novel more than anything takes on the character of tragedy, as the sworn brothers' quest to live out their ideals inevitably leaves them empty-handed and ruined.

Author: Halldor Laxness
ISBN-10: 091467109X
ISBN-13: 9780914671091
Publisher: Archipelago Books
Language: English
Published: 11/01/2016
Pages: 472
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.30lbs
Size: 6.90h x 5.90w x 1.30d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/0001
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2016 pg. 25
Publishers Weekly 12/05/2016